Daisy’s hind legs were swollen with cuts and grazes, crawling with maggots and covered in flystrike, a painful and potentially fatal condition caused by fly infestations.

RSPCA Inspector Lucy Chillery was called to the rescue and, after organising for vet treatment, took Daisy to an animal centre for intensive care treatment.

It was thought she had a bacterial infection which must have been untreated for well over a month.

Daisy was making a fantastic recovery when Shirley Phillips read about her in the paper and realised it was her pony, stolen from her in July, with her foal and another pony – both of whom are still missing.

Daisy was stolen from a field in Carpenter’s Lane, Hadlow, in Kent.

Daisy has been reunited with her owner, but her foal and another mare are still missing.

She has now been given a clean bill of health by vets and has been returned to her owner.

“Daisy has done so well given the agonising condition she was found in,” Chillery said.

“She was suffering from untreated wounds on her legs which were full of maggots, and a bad case of the highly contagious horse disease, strangles, which meant she had to be kept in isolation for a month.

“We couldn’t be happier with her recovery given that when she was found she was in such an appalling state we didn’t think she would survive.”

The two other stolen ponies, a foal, named May, and the other mare, named Lady, have not been found.

The RSPCA is appealing for sightings or any information on their whereabouts as it is concerned for their welfare.

Anyone with any information can contact the RSPCA’s inspector appeal line on 0300 123 8018.